Although digital electronics circuits have proved useful in an extremely wide range of applications, demands for faster and lower power circuits remain significant. The combination of bipolar and CMOS technologies in BiCMOS integrated circuits has allowed for relatively high speed performance and lower power consumption. Even greater power reductions have been accomplished through the use of low voltage technology, whereby power supplies on the order of 3.3 volts are used rather than power supplies on the order of 5 volts.
While low voltage technology systems have incorporated BiCMOS technologies to allow for relatively high speed performance, most existing systems are 5 volt systems. Unfortunately, difficulties arise when low voltage technology systems are to be integrated with 5 volt systems. One of those difficulties arises from the fact that low voltage technology systems, even in tri-state operation, act as current sinks when 5 volt systems are in their high (i.e., approximately 5 volt) state. Although some pure CMOS devices have blocked current sinking in unmixed voltage systems (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,936 for a "NON-LOADING OUTPUT DRIVER CIRCUIT", issued to Andresen), the problems associated with the interfacing of low voltage technology systems with mixed voltage environments have not been addressed.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a low voltage technology output driver that can be coupled to mixed voltage systems (such as systems containing 5 volt and 3.3 volt systems) without sinking current from the higher voltage devices, even while the output driver is powered down, while yet providing enhanced speed and power performance.